The Hell money

In the funerary world of ancient China, it was believed that part of the soul lived on after death. Man would thus possess two souls: the hun 魂and the po 魄. The former must ascend to Sheol, the latter remains in the realm of men, where its remains rest.

So that the soul po her family, she must not realize that she is dead, detached from her body, in a grave. It was therefore important to recreate the living space in the grave. The deceased were buried with models of places and/or miniature representations of objects or people, such as guards, servants, musical instruments, game boards or food. Everything was designed to enable the soul to continue living as it had before. These were known as mingqi.

A tradition that has evolved over time.

As this practice was costly, it was reserved for the more privileged classes. The working classes, for their part, turned to rituals that were more accessible and inexpensive: paper offerings. They wrote down what they wished to pass on to the deceased in the afterlife, then burned the paper to transform the material into the immaterial.

This paper money ensured that the poorest of the poor could honor the contract between the living and the dead: the living take care to provide their deceased with what they need. In exchange, the deceased provide protection for the living, in a relationship of interdependence that continues to this day.

The Hell Money

And so The Hell Money - aka Hell Bank Note- was born. In addition to the particularly cool name of these bills, they offer a truly distinctive graphic design, with vibrant colors and strong symbolism.

Here is a small selection and a (very quick) explanation of their symbols:

Fishing

Peach has always been perceived in China as a powerful "anti-demon". Peach wood can be used as protection against demonic influences, a decoction of peach leaves would repel spectres from a body. while a peach branch could be used to cure evil by beating a person with it...(nice!)

This tree is said to be the first whose branches are covered with flowers in spring, even before it has leaves. According to De Groot (The Religious System of China).

Le Phoenix

A symbol of peace and prosperity, the phoenix is believed in Chinese culture to have descended from the sun.

In ancient times, feng huang (phoenix) referred to not just one bird, but two. Feng was the male bird, while huang was the female bird. Together, they were a metaphor for the symbol of yin and yang, and a representation of the solemn relationship between man and woman. Later feng and the huang were combined into a single female bird, often associated with the dragon as its male counterpart.

Fulushou (福 祿 壽 )

Fu (福), Lu (祿) and Shou (壽) are "The Three Asters": the three Spirits/Gods considered to be the "Spirits/Gods of Happiness". They are composed of "The Star of Luck", "The Star of Prosperity" and "The Star of Longevity".

Swastika (卍)

The swastika - known as "The Seal on Buddha's Heart" - is a symbol of universal harmony, prosperity, abundance and eternity.

The word "swastika" is said to come from the Sanskrit svastika - "su" ("good" or "auspicious") united with "asti" ("it is"), with the diminutive suffix "ka", which literally means: "It is good" or "all is well".

It is also possible to find banknotes denominated in foreign currencies, such as dollars or pounds.
Less symbolic than the former, their purpose is to offer the deceased the opportunity to travel. For if the afterlife is a replica of the living world, then there's nothing to stop the dead from wanting to travel after all 😉